City of Watered Goats

Because of my extended stay in the Middle East, I was able to join my friends on the trek to the ancient Syrian city of Aleppo aka Halab. Halab is Arabic for "place where Abraham watered his goats". It's humble beginning hasn't stopped it from becoming a thriving city. Just last year it was voted the Capital of Islamic Culture.

The main attraction in Aleppo is the Citadel. It was the city center centuries ago. As the teenage daughter of our friends in Aleppo said, "It's just a bunch of rocks." I would say a bunch of very impressive rocks with amazing views of the city.

After exploring the different crevices and enjoying the 360 view of Aleppo, we had some mint tea at an outdoor cafe. At the table next to us was a 70-something couple from Orange, California. They were touring Syria and then on to Iran. Wow! I hope I will be doing the same 40 years from now.

Although I enjoyed my stay in Aleppo, Damascus was the city that captured my heart in Syria.